1/12/2012

Improving on the former Micra was the easy part; if only the task facing Nissan’s engineers had been so simple.
But to stand out from a crowd as talented as the current crop calls for far more than modest evolutionary changes. In short, nothing less than brilliance will do.
Each rival has its own particular strength: Honda’s Jazz has the space, Citroën’s C3 the character, Volkswagen’s Polo the desirability and Ford’s Fiesta the dynamism; but no manufacturer has yet managed successfully to combine all four to create the perfect supermini. Nissan hopes the Micra will be that car.

Nissan Micra (02-) 1.2 SX 3dr Hatchback Design

Nissan Micra (02-) 1.2 SX 3dr Hatchback (1)

The new Sunderland-built Micra uses the brand new Alliance platform which will eventually underpin the next Clio.
The front strut and torsion beam rear suspension is conventional stuff and braking is handled by a combination of front discs and rear drums, each set-up being augmented anti-lock, EBS and brake assist as standard on every model.
The rear-seat base can be moved forward by 200mm to increase the relatively small boot from a poor 237 litres to a class-leading 371 litres – bigger even than the cargo area in Honda’s Jazz – but at the expense of any usable legroom in the rear.

Nissan Micra (02-) 1.2 SX 3dr Hatchback (2)

We have chosen to test the 1.2 which promises to be the pick of the range and also the most popular. It produces 79bhp at 5200rpm and 81lb ft at 3600rpm which makes it almost as powerful as rivals’ 1.4 units.

Nissan Micra (02-) 1.2 SX 3dr Hatchback On The Road

From rest the Micra kicks to 60mph in a deeply impressive 10.5sec, obliterating the claimed time of 13.9sec which Nissan engineers admit is conservative, and leaving most similarly priced rivals trailing in its wake, including Skoda’s far more powerful Fabia which gets closest on 10.8sec.

Nissan Micra (02-) 1.2 SX 3dr Hatchback (3)

The overtaking urge is just as impressive. The Micra scoots from 50-70mph in fifth in a usefully brisk 14.0sec compared to 15.1sec for the Fabia while the Polo languishes in the distance with a languid 20.5sec.
The zingy, all-alloy engines have always been a major part of the Micra’s appeal and nothing about this new 1.2 unit changes that impression. The 104mph maximum we recorded on Millbrook’s banking matches Nissan’s claim.
There’s a distinctly Ford-like feel to the way the Micra’s relatively stiff suspension resists roll and maintains its composure under pressure, encouraging the driver to attack the road ahead. The electrically assisted steering has less feel than the conventionally powered rack Fiesta fitted, but few drivers will complain in practice, especially when that the weighting is so even and well-judged.

Nissan Micra (02-) 1.2 SX 3dr Hatchback (4)

Don’t think that Nissan has forgotten that a large majority of its drivers will take little interest in door-handling its latest baby, because the Micra is just as adept at handling the everyday stuff such as the urban crawl and motorway jaunts. Nothing can match the Micra’s tiny turning circle. At just 9.2m it’s better than any rival and makes the Micra one of the easiest cars to manoeuvre in town.

Nissan Micra (02-) 1.2 SX 3dr Hatchback Living

Nissan has settled on a distinctly Beetle-style curved silhouette which gives the Micra real road presence but has had a markedly negative effect on interior space.

Nissan Micra (02-) 1.2 SX 3dr Hatchback (5)

Front and rear legroom is a match for that in cars such as the Polo and Fiesta, and sitting under the roof’s highest point, the tallest of front seat occupants won’t want for headroom, but in the rear it’s a different story. Any passengers of above-average height could find their heads brushing the rooflining unless they adopt a slightly slouched seating position.
That curved rear also takes its toll on the Micra’s boot which offers less space than most rivals. Slide the rear bench fully forward by tugging on the handle at the bottom of the backrest and the Micra’s small boot becomes far more useful, but doing so reduces legroom for rear seat passengers effectively to zero.

Nissan Micra (02-) 1.2 SX 3dr Hatchback (6)

Today’s supermini buyers expect to be offered the same level of luxury as owners of bigger cars and nowhere is this more evident than in the appearance on higher-spec Micras of Nissan’s Intelligent Key, a Mercedes-style key-card system that allows you to operate the door locks and ignition without fiddling for a proper key. Every Micra, including the base-spec E model, comes with power steering, a CD player, electric windows and central locking.

Nissan Micra (02-) 1.2 SX 3dr Hatchback Verdict

By showing us that small on the outside needn’t equal small on the inside, the Jazz reminded us why the original Mini was so clever, and in this respect the Micra shows too little ingenuity. In fact, rear headroom and luggage space are distinctly below par for the class, which will be reason enough for some buyers to strike it from their shopping lists. But they will be the losers in most other respects. Great to look at, fun to drive and full of clever design touches that will delight buyers who find Ford’s Fiesta just a little dull, the new Micra is one of the most desirable superminis on sale.